On Thursday, March 19, Norwin High School’s administration made a shocking announcement: the stadium construction is completely cancelled, and the stadium will be left as is to be repurposed as a Monster Truck Racing venue.
Below is a picture of the stadium as it currently stands.
This announcement comes after Norwin faced intense pressure from the MTAA, or Monster Truck Activists of America. Norwin has had a football team for many years, but they have never had a monster truck racing team. The MTAA works to get a monster truck team at every high school across the country, hoping to eliminate the risks of CTE associated with football.
“CTE is running rampant through our youth,” said Penn Trafford High School’s monster truck racing coach Timmy Truckmonster. “Monster truck racing is a way to get our kids out of these dangerous sports and into a safer option.”
With the cancellation of the stadium project also comes the cancellation of Norwin High School’s football program. Effective immediately, Norwin High School will host a Monster Truck racing team, coached by former track and field and cross country coach Brian Fleckenstein. Additionally, Norwin is cancelling all other sports to put more funding into the monster trucks. Many sports are very dangerous.
“Being from Punxsutawney, it [monster truck racing] was definitely the number one sport,” said Fleckenstein. “Sure, I ran [track] in Punxsutawney, but most of my time I was trying to outrun the trucks in town. I’m thinking of adding a big diesel engine to my electric car, suping it up with some tires and digging on in.”
Most Norwin athletes feel the same about the changes.
“Soccer is kinda a fake sport for me, monster trucks are my true passion,” said senior soccer player Joe Cramer. “Ever since I saw Grave Digger, I’ve been studying them in my free time. I’m really sad I’m graduating, but I hope the future generations of monster truck racers can enjoy the program. I’ll get my little brothers to join the team.”
Norwin hopes to be a perennial WPIAL contender in monster truck racing. The competitive team has received over $300 million in taxpayer funding, enough for a full practice facility and a top-level fleet of monster trucks.
“What? When did I approve that?” said Norwin Principal Dr. Michael Choby about the funding of this new program and stadium.
Norwin’s blue and gold trucks are fitted with supercharged diesel engines. These engines, designed for peak performance, allow Norwin’s monster truck racers to win no matter their skill level.
”I don’t even have my driver’s license, and I’m playing for the monster truck team in their next race,” said real Norwin freshman Mikey Monstertruck.
During the monster truck team’s last race on March 12, Mikey Monstertruck suffered a head-on collision with another truck driven by a racer from Plum. He is still recovering from his injuries at UPMC Children’s Hospital.
Ultimately, Norwin’s Monster Truck program will be a staple of the school’s athletics for years to come. In fact, as previously mentioned, it will be the only sport the school offers.
“All these other sports are just too dangerous,” said Truckmonster. “We can’t be risking the lives of our youth over a game. Our kids need to be safe and protected in the cab of a monster truck. There’s nothing covering you when you run track, but in a monster truck, you’re completely protected by them rubber tires. What if you got struck by lightning? If you were running track, you’d be in bad shape.”
